Who We Are & What We Do

My photography journey began in 1997 with a handful of expired rolls of film and my mother’s Pentax SLR camera. I remember asking my parents to pull over the car as they drove past a collapsed brick grain elevator in Northern Illinois so that I could try to capture what I was seeing. Sure enough, when we got the film back, I was blown away at the magic of having frozen a moment in time.  That was it– I was hooked.

Fast forward a couple decades while picturing a Rocky-style training montage of me mastering photography and self-doubt, or read this instead:

While growing up, I never dreamed that I would be able to find a job that would allow me to express myself creatively while serving a higher purpose. Because of this fear, I sought out educational opportunities in Psychology and Physical Therapy, even becoming licensed to practice in the state of Missouri. I wanted to invest in people and their goals in a more individualized way than either fields would allow in a professional capacity. As I struggled to serve humanity in a fulfilling way, I questioned whether I had wasted money on an education that I wasn’t pursuing work in. Through all of the obstacles that presented along the way, I discovered that my education in Psychology and Physical Therapy were in fact being used daily– allowing me to pose my clients safely, talk with them openly, and help use photography to show them how incredible they are, inside and out. God has shown a plan for my life that existed outside of my comfort zone, and I am so happy to have faced my fears and followed my heart– it has allowed me to be here today to serve you with a full heart and the experience to capture your memories with the tailored expertise that only I can provide.

Gwendolyn Mercer Photography is a full service photography studio located in St. Louis, Missouri that specializes in a one of a kind portraiture experience. Gwen and her team love to get to know you as our client so that we can center the session experience on empowering you, showcasing your natural beauty, and creating images and content tailored to your needs.  You deserve to feel beautiful and strong. Our goal is your goal– to help you discover the most divine version of yourself, and be proud of what you see. We are a #bodypositive environment and are thrilled to work with incredible people to showcase the wonderful things that make us all so unique. Come as a client and leave as a friend.

Questions or comments? Head to Contact to send me a note.
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